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Book News: New Projects and A Strange Plea a.k.a. My Apology, No Comedy Title Today

No alumni Starving Interview today, folks, though I hope to rectify this next week! Instead, we present an offer of new things in the future, followed by yours truly begging at your feet like a kicked puppy. AWESOME!

Right, let’s start with the less embarrassing part. My latest writing project, the start of a brand new series, has actually begun. There is a lot about this new book that stray away from the works I’ve done in the past, but I think that will give this series a unique place in my portfolio. I think it’s too early yet to start dropping teasers and such, but if you’re a fan of fantasy mystery romance post-magical-apocalypse LGBT dramas with film noire and cyberpunk influences, you’ll want to read this one. If that giant pile of mish-mash appeals to you, then feel free to contact me directly via e-mail (jbgarner58@gmail.com) or through any social media and we’ll see if you want to take the plunge to be an alpha/beta reader! Otherwise, expect the first full blown teasers, as well as the rough drafts of the first few ‘chapters’, next month.

Now we can go to the pathetic part, yay! Well, it’s not too pathetic. I honestly hope this comes across as something of a heartfelt request as opposed to some kind of emotional blackmail, but we’ll see how it goes. Just know that, if you like, you can brush this off as simply another indie author loosing his/her mind and ignore it.

I started doing book reviews for my fellow authors for purely selfish reasons. Wanting content to attract people to my blog, to see my own books, I figured reviewing others was a good way to get my name out there. However, as I think many of the alumni reviewees and long-time readers can attest, it didn’t stay that way. I felt a desire to give back to the community that had helped me along the way, given me advice, and needed another voice, a voice willing to read practically ANYTHING.

When I got my first thank you for a deeply critical review, one that asked me for more help and insights off-the-record, I knew then that I really was contributing back. That was sixty-some reviews ago and that good feeling has sustained me to the point where, often, I do more work for other authors and for my reviews than my own work. Crap, that could be emotional blackmail, couldn’t it? Still, it’s been said so moving on …

What my work as a reviewer has NOT done is pulled people in to look at my own writing. Many seem to love my writing articles, love my reviews, and want my advice, but very few seem to want to click the My Books link, or the Patreon link, or anything that might help sustain the work I do. I know, why should anyone? I’m, in essence, still quite the small fry when it comes to this sort of thing. What right would I have to ask, yet alone expect, anyone to do that sort of thing?

I don’t. No one does. What I do want to ask is for anyone who has put up with this meandering scrawl to be open to new genres, to not ignore an indie author’s work just because they are indie, and to consider taking up the reviewer’s pen yourself, even if it is for just a few books you particularly enjoy or loathe. If you decide one of those is one of mine, great, but if it is for ANYONE, it’ll make me feel better about my own lot. It would be a positive thing pushed forward and that’s always a win, even if it doesn’t put lunch money into my pocket.

Anyway, let’s put that in the past and move on. We will have a fresh Starving Review served up for you tomorrow! Until then, good reading, good writing, and good luck!